experiences of finding THE dress please?

I'm going dress shopping on Saturday so will let you know!

I went dress shopping spontaneously last week, just couldn't wait to try even though it is more than 18 months until my wedding! I am now haunted by an amazing dress that I just loved but I didn't buy because I felt it was too early and I wanted the experience of trying more dresses! I even had a dream about said dress last night! I just can't decide if it was the excitement of feeling like a bride for the first time or if it really is the dress!

So I am also interested to hear about others' experiences...

x

2nd shop. I tried on about 8 dresses before I found 'the one' and about 4 after but I knew it was that one. I still question whether it's 'the one' as I haven't seen it again since and I was tired and bored by the point I one and really just wanted to be done with the dress shopping!

I nipped into a shop in my lunchtime one day simply to make an appointment to go and look with my Daughter on the following Saturday. The lady in the shop was quite quiet that day, so said as we had a half hour spare, could she pull a few different styles, to see what sort of thing she could then focus on pulling ready for the "proper" appointment on the Saturday.

Of course, I said yes, put on a couple of dresses and just felt "wow" in one. At that point I didn't know whether it was just the fact that I had A dress on or whether it was because it was THE dress. So, she told me not to mention to my daughter that we had tried any on at all, and to come back for a proper session on the Saturday.

Between that appointment and going back on the Saturday, I went to another shop and hated every minute of being there. None of the samples were anywhere close to fitting, so the lady made me feel fat and frumpy, and may as well have sent me to Edinburgh Woollen Mill or Viyella for a sensible skirt and jacket to wear! Seriously, I cried in the store and I cried when I got home. Already, that lunchtime experience was looking so much better!

On the Saturday, I went back to my "original" store with my daughter. There were about 12 dresses pulled, all of which were beautiful, and not one that I wouldn't have been able to wear quite happily on the day. But when she put me in the one I had tried on that lunchtime, my daughter immediately said "That's it, that's the one", and it was. I hadn't mentioned anything to her about seeing dresses beforehand, so the fact that she had exactly that response sealed it for me.

I did have another appointment that same day at a shop 5 mins away from the first, so we still kept that appointment, but it was half hearted as in my head and my heart I knew I had already found my dress. I thanked the lady kindly for her time, had lunch with my daughter so that I couldn't be accused of rushing into things, but then couldn't get back to the first store quick enough to get my measurements taken and my deposit paid!

So, 3 shops visited, but really and truthfully, it was the first dress in the first shop that I went back to. It wouldn't have been nearly so easy, though, if I hadn't had such an amazing shop assistant, because the woman in the second shop was an absolute cow, and I think that even if "The One" was in that shop, it wouldn't have felt like it when it was on my person, if that makes sense.

It is now 6 months since I bought my dress - it doesn't arrive in the shop until the beginning of February, and I cannot wait!!! I still love it just as much as I did then, not a single dress-wobble so far, and I don't anticipate one either.

I found a dress that I fell in love with a few months ago. To this day I'm still not sure whether I loved the dress or whether I loved the fact that I finally felt like a bride. It was the first dress I'd tried that fitted me and I could actually imagine wearing. I was 100% sure it was the right dress and bought it, (in a sale so non-returnable). In the following few months I went from loving the dress to hating it with a passion. Now I'm in the position of trying to sell the dress and find another one. It's been the most stressful part of the wedding so far and the cause of the most rows with my OH. He sees it as a waste of money and doesn't understand why I want another one. So my advice is give yourself time to think about the dress properly, if someone is trying to get you to buy a dress under pressure then walk away. I really wish I'd never bought mine.

I was looking online for local wedding dress shops so I could start booking appointments to try some on (not looking for a dress at that time) Then on the first website I came across a dress caught my eye. I immediately knew it was the one I wanted.

It was after hours so I called and left a message asking to make an appointment to come and try the dress on. I went 2 days later and tried it on which confirmed for me it was what I was looking for. I didn't really want to try any others on, but to keep the shop staff happy, I tried on about 8 others. Didn't like any of them.

I knew it was the dress for me 100% but felt the price tag was steep considering it had a pull in the material in a very noticeable area. So I left it there and said i'd think about it. I went home and googled around and found someone selling the same dress privately. Brand new and unworn, just a change of mind. It was £700 cheaper than the shop were looking for, so it was a no brainer for me. Bought it, 5 days later it arrived and it's perfect!

9th dress I tried. I almost bought one that was so wrong for me because the lady in the shop was so lovely ! I ended up going for a completely different style dress to what I originally thought I wanted as the lady in the first shop said I may as well try it to get a feel of different silhouettes. Low and behold she was right and although the dress wasn't quite right it was the right style. The dress I got I originally saw online and I was like that's it! That's the one! So I rang got an appointment and tried it on the next day- I was in two minds but only because I felt I hadn't tried on enough and then I just thought ahhhh I know it's the one so no point in trying anymore. The women who owned the shop was such a b**ch though that I ordered the dress from a different shop who stocked that designer! X

That's amazing luck Sam&Louise! X

I found my dress on Saturday. It was about the forth one I tried on in the first shop but I had appointments in two other shops that day so went along to those as well. I tried one on that did get me confused because it was completely the opposite to the other dress and I loved it just as much but it was double the price of the other one and when I went back to the first shop I knew that that dress was the one. I had to choose that day as well because the first dress was from an outlet so she was only holding it for me until the end of the day and the other dress I liked she would give me £100 worth of accessories and 10% off if I ordered it by 4pm. When I went back to get my dress someone else wanted it if I didn't have it so I'm glad I got back in time!

I only went to one shop, and went ahead on the same day I tried the dress on.

It was the first dress I chose and the first one I tried on (even though I didn't think that much of it when it was on the hanger!). I didn't immediately know it was 'the one', however all of the other dresses I tried on after I kept comparing to the first one.

When I put it on again after trying about 8 other styles of dresses, I then knew it was the one for me! It made me feel how I wanted to feel as a bride on my wedding day, and I did well up even though I didn't think I was feeling emotional at all!

I decided to go ahead as I felt trying on more dresses might confuse me and make me doubt my decision. I've not worried about it since - I ordered my dress beginning of July and should arrive in the shop around December time. I cant wait to try it on again!

The style of dress wasn't what I had expected to want, so just make sure you try on lots of different styles so you can find what's right for you.

Wasn't it just ?

I got soooo lucky!

Exactly this. Several I tried on were totally not what I thought I wanted, and I ended up getting one that was so totally different to what I had expected to get. And they do look so different on the hanger to how they are on! I know some girls who saw the dress online and got exactly that one and most were really happy with it, but one friend got exactly what she expected to get (a sleek, light weight lace one) and refused to try on anything different, and though she has been married 18months and still loves her dress, she wishes she had been brave enough to try on ball gown or princess dress.

You only get to go wedding dress shopping once so make the most of it and try on the most outrageous dresses you can!

I must have tried on over 100 dresses before finding the one. Of those 100 there were 5 I went back and tried on for a second time but could not decide between them. Started to think about buyinv one and customising it or having 1 dress for ceremony and one for evening. Then I went to a wedding fair and spoke to a really nice lady in a dress shop just down the road which I had not looked in as the outside was a bit shaby looking. I made an appointment and tried on some dresses, none of which were anything like I thought I wanted and fell in love with one of them. As soon as I saw myself in it I knew it was perfect. Suddenly I no longer wanted 2 dresses as wanted to wear that one for as long as possible. It arrives in march and I cant wait (its ronald joyce 67013).

I went to a shop and tried loads on but didn't find anything I liked. Then I saw a dress in the window of another shop that I thought was stunning, made an appointment to try it on and it was the one. I didn't buy it from the shop I first saw it in though, I went elsewhere and bought a sample for less than half the price!

I saw a few dresses I loved online so booked an appointment with the local stockist and booked a second shop appointment after as my FMIL couldn't attend the first appointment so I thought hey even if she isn't there for THE dress she will get to see some dresses. How wrong was I?! The first shop I found the woman a bit stuck up. I couldn't really see the dresses as she was just pulling out a few at random so I didn't try the ones I thought I wanted but I did try similar styles. I had an hour appointment and no more. I tried a Cinderella style dress that was absolutely stunning and everyone was telling me it must be the one but as much as I loved if I just kept thinking the skirt is so big! Didn't get offered to try veils or anything. We went to the second shop with all the bridesmaids and my mum talking about this one dress and we showed FMIL the photo before entering the next shop. The next one we were there for 4 hours! I tried on every style of dress you can imagine! Everyone was allowed to look at the dresses and I could try as many different styles as I liked. It was the 2nd dress in that shop that as the one so I tried about 7 dresses on before I found if but I must have tried a good 8 more after haha. Everyone knew it was the one as I was just swishing around in it and commenting on every detail but the lovely shop assistant still allowed me to try on every style before deciding. I wanted a fish tail and walked away with an a line so my advise would be try on as many styles as you can. Have honest people with you and enjoy the day!

1st shop - spur of the moment out with some girl from work - let's go look at wedding dresses moment. The shop was lovely and the first dress I tried on was an "OK,so maybe I can wear a wedding dress" moment, but not that one. Tried on another three. One was vile, the others OK, but only OK. My chums were lovely and honest and while none of them were right, it did tell me I could be a proper bride again.

2nd - was an outlet - horrendous experience. Went with darling daughter. Although a couple of dresses were OK, they were far from the one. I felt fat, old, and that it was a cattle market. I got no help from the new girl who was assigned to me. Left that one feeling very very dejected and upset.

3rd - was the local Bridal Boutique - the full works. Gorgeous shop with gorgeous gowns. Felt rather daunted and expected to feel horribly out of place, but darling daughter was with me. It was a Maggie Sottero Trunk weekend - so only Maggie gowns which was fine as I'd been told that was the case and so had looked at her website. This was new stuff though and some only just on the website. Spent 1 1/5 hours trying about 6 dresses on. Some deffo no - there were bits I didn't like but there were two I really liked but couldn't decide. I went home with a follow-up appointment for the next day. DD and I scoured the Maggie website again looking at the ones I liked, and how they looked on the models, and made notes of other possible candidates.

4th - the next day - I had a shortlist now of two - one from the previous day and one that I'd found on-line. They had it in, we hadn't tried it the previous day as it wasn't the right colour (heaven knows why we didn't as they do do it in the colour I was looking at.) I tried both on - and it was so tough. I loved them both and how they made me look and feel. At the end of the day (or appointment) it came down to the swoosh. The dress I chose is heavily beaded and gives a gorgeous swoosh as it trails along the wooden floor. So that was it - deal done.

Now I have to wait until January when it comes in. Looking to get alterations done feb to March so need to get some weight off!!

My dress was a bit of the spur of the moment. The local shop had a collection of dresses in only for that weekend and i uhmed and ah'd over this one dress, and my mum liked it and said to go and try. I called them up saturday in the hope they were opening Sunday and got an appointment.

Got there and found the lady had opened the shop just for me! It was amazing. I tried on about 7 dresses - including the one I loved and I actually looked like a right frump. I tried on some that i loved but thought they wouldn't suit me but they were beautiful!

I had tried on one that the assistant liked but i thought was ok, and it turned out to be the one. I spent a good 20 minutes wandering around the shop with a veil on so i knew it was for me!

My wedding isn't until 2016 so I can't go until August to go and get measured, I wish I could go and try it on again!!

The first time I tried a dress on it was at the national wedding fair - big mistake! I was just looking at some dresses and one of the sales girls came over and instantly started telling me all about their 'award winning' plus size range, pulled me away from the one I was looking at and said that these were the ones I should be looking at... they had about 3 frumpy 'fat people' dresses... between the sales girls and my mum they convinced me to try one on - my mum was determined that I should try a sample that actually fit me, rather than be strapped into something (this is because I had told her before going to the fair that I would not be trying any dresses on because I was worried that nothing would fit me). So they put me into this dress, and pulled me out onto a pedastle in the middle of everyone and it was awful... everyone was milling around and looking at me in the dress (which was awful anyway!) felt like a bit of a freak show! so after that it took me 6 months to build up the courage to book any appointments - I booked 5 appointments over 2 days.

1st shop was wonderful - it was a local independant boutique with incredible helpful staff, tried on about 8 dresses and just about every one I could have bought and been perfectly happy with, but I didnt get that 'feeling' although my mum did cry! I had 4 other appointments booked so I didnt want to make any rash decisions

2nd shop - another local boutique, looked lovely from the outside, but as soon as I walked in the assistant completely ignored us for about 10 minutes while she was chatting to someone (who I am assuming was a friend as the assistant was holding her baby!), the store was filthy with horrible patchy carpets, all of the dresses were crammed into a tiny little room - I almost left without trying anything on, but felt too embarrased so tried on 1 dress and left sharpish - there was no help getting into the dress, my mum had to do that.

3rd shop - I found the one! Absolutely gorgeous store, as soon as I walked in I spotted a dress that was by a designer I loved, I had seen it on the website but never paid any attention to it as it wasnt the shape I thought I wanted, but I just had to try it on. Picked out about 6 dresses to try, but put my favourite on first and even when she was lacing it up I said I love it already!! went to show my mum and sister who both started crying, mum said she could just picture me coming down the aisle in that dress and it was perfect! I didnt want to take it off, tried on different belts, veils and jewellery with it, PERFECT! I did eventually take the dress off and try on the others just in case but nothing came close. I decided to sleep on it, as I had 2 more appointments the following day and wanted to be certain.

4th shop - the next day I went to the 4th store, walked in, took 1 look around and decided that there was nothing there even a patch on the dress from the last store so left without trying anything on. I cancelled the 5th appointment and rang the 3rd store to go back and get measured ?

Dress is due into the store in November, can't wait to try it on again!

I do wonder, sometimes, how the shops who have really horrid assistants manage to keep in business!

I'm sorry, but when someone is spending hundreds or even thousands of pounds on a dress, they should be treated as though they are worth a million dollars, and then some. To be ignored, or criticised for not being sample size is just not necessary. Assistants who don't listen, either, really wound me up. I did go in with an open mind as to styles and fabrics etc, but I also had some very definite elements that I DIDN'T want. I can cope with "I know you said you didn't want XYZ, but just try so you can rule it out once it is on" type things but when I say no sleeves, and get told "this one has beautiful sleeves" I do wonder who I have been talking to!

?

I found my dress in the 3rd shop I went in to. I'd tried on about 20 dresses in the other 2 shops. I went with my mum and a girl I was working with at my weekend job. She used to work in the shop we went to and she said she'd help me find the dress. And she did just that! It was the first dress she suggested I try on and as soon as I stepped into it I just knew I loved it. I didn't want to take it off. I tried a few more on during that appointment but none of them came close.

I didn't order it straight away as I was planning on losing weight first. And that didn't happen! When we went back to order it, they gave me 10% discount without me even asking. 5 months later my dress arrived!

I went to my first shop and tried on 9 dresses, one of which I had absolutely fallen in love with on the internet. In real life, it didn't give me enough hips! At the end of the appointment I had it down to two that I loved, but couldn't decide, so I booked a second appointment. I tried on those two, plus two more that were similar at the next appointment, and then sat and stared at photos of myself for a long time! I was trying to decide between the plainer one, and the sparkly one. Eventually I decided you should stand out on your special day and went for the sparkles, and I'm so glad I did! I showed H the other day the other dress, and he wasn't impressed! Phew!

You look stunning!

Thank you so much ladies for all the replies, has been great to meet so many varied, but oddly similar situations!

Thank you I tell you what the best thing for me was, the fact that my bridesmaids had apps that meant they could collage the photos, so we could see the dresses beside each other. Really helpful! Good luck, it was part of wedding planning that I wasn't looking forward to, but I actually loved it!

I booked 2 appointments for a Saturday in May, I went to the appointments with my mum, sisters and niece, the first was more of a budget place, assistant was nice but in my size (I was a size 20 then) they only had a couple of A line Ivory dresses with coloured embroidery ( I wanted off white with sparkle). I tried on 3 dresses, they were all too short (I'm 6ft 1) and didn't close. The changing area was a small back room with no windows with my family perched on stools on the other side of the curtain. Nothing wrong with the shop but it left me disheartened that I would fall in love with a dress or that anything would make me feel pretty. After this appointment we went for lunch and sort of agreed that I wouldn't be buying a dress that day and that clearly A Line would be the way to go. My second appointment was at a more boutique place, beautiful shop. When we went in we were offered drinks, the let us pull what ever dress we wanted and the owner pulled a couple, all in the off white I wanted all different styles. The changing room was a big well lit space and when I came out it was to a large seating are for my family, large windows and huge mirror gave natural light and the even had one of those podiums to stand on. It all immediately felt different. The first dress I tried on made me feel stunning. I came out and my whole family just said WOW. I tried on 7 more dresses but we kept comparing to the first and they didn't compete. All the dresses were long enough on me and she got me into every style. There was a second dress that my family agreed looked good. An A-line dress but as soon as my mum said well it's really between this and the other I knew it wasnt because immediately I was thinking, why are they saying that. I put the first back on and every one again said wow it wasn't even a contest, I was in the ONE. I still hadn't decided that I was buying that day, but the sample was the perfect size for what size I was going to be at my wedding and they had only had the dress 2 weeks. The owner offered me £300 off to buy the sample which was as new. Since it was £400 over my budget this meant it was in my price range so I jumped on it. So what did I end up with.... A diamond white, sophia Tolli trumpet style. I have never felt so pretty. I went back last week to try it on after losing 2 stone since buying the dress and it is almost perfect fit Although it think by the time I am done it will need taking in a smidge. I love it just as much if not more it just sparkles. So that is my experience 2 shops 10 dresses 1 day.

I found 'the one' on Tuesday!! I'd tried it on twice before but tried on a few other dresses and tried other shops to be sure. But when I put it on the last time I just knew but it was daunting because it makes the wedding process seem even more real and to pay so much money on one dress is a big act. But I keep thinking about it, I'm finally excited and can't wait until I see it again!!

I had a really clear idea of what I wanted. In the first shop I went to I explained what i wanted and the assistant showed me dresses that matched as closely as possible to my requirements, several were lovely but none took my breath away. In the second shop I went to I gave the same description and the assistant totally ignored me and told me what was fashionable.

I went back to shop 1 and the owner was in this time, I went through the description of my dream dress again and she picked out a selection for me to try. At the end of the session I was torn, there were 3 dresses I liked, one had the perfect lace, a second had the perfect neck-line and a third had the perfect back detail but none were 'the dress'. I told the owner of the shop and she laced me into dress number one, and started draping and pinning spare bits of fabric around the bodice and shoulders. Suddenly before my eyes my dream dress had materialised!

I ordered the base dress and she took photos of her improvised adaptations, then modified my dress when it came in. (And the process wasn't too expensive either)

My sister basically bundled me into the car with 10 mins notice to go dress shopping as she was sick of me putting it off cos I was 'too old and fat'! We went to an outlet store and really didn't know what to expect. The girls in the shop were lovely, and we were told we could pick out 4 dresses to try on and they would let us know when there was a changing room available. It was a saturday afternoon so the place was busy, but we were never made to feel rushed and picked out 4 dresses, all very different shapes and styles as I wanted to see what suited me.

Dress 1....a line princess, sweetheart neckline, loved it, made both me and my sister cry. But could i really be a 41 year old fairy princess?

Dress 2 and 3. ....very wrong but glad I tried them

Dress 4.... wasnt actually the one we picked out as we sawa different one in the changing room....a line, lots of lace, lovely back details with train. Really loved it. And after lots of should i/shouldn't i, i decided to go for it. Paid a deposit and arranged to come back a week later to pay balance and also have another try on so my mum could see it.

Came home really happy but kept finding myself thinking about dress 1.

A week later of we went again. I was still thinking about dress 1 so when we arrived i asked if they still had the one i tried on, they did, so dress 1 came into changing room too.

I tried dress 4 on first and loved it again, happy that i had made the right choice in the first place and probably didn't need to try on dress 1. But everyone said i should just to get it out of my system.

The woman in the shop deserves a medal for her patience. I tried both dresses on twice, with veils, without veils, I practised sitting down in them, with bra, without bra. It could have gone on for days!

The upshot of this whole saga is that I will be going down the aisle as a very proud and excited 41 year old fairy princess complete with long veil and lovely sparkly tiara, leaving a slight trail of glitter behind me from the gorgeous glittery under layer of the skirt. I cant wait! And I know no one asked, but here's a pic anyway!

I went too two shops! the first I tried on about 10! didn't like any of them! went to second shop few weeks later and saw a lady carrying a dress..I asked if I could try that one on! in my head it was what had been looking for! she said another lady is just trying it on after she is finished I shall bring it to you!.... tried on about 8 dresses during that time! she brings me the dress I try on and voila! I had found my dress! I would try on as many dresses as you can! its more fun!

I went to a wedding fayre with 2 of my bridesmaid and we were doing the usual up and down up and down each row until i spotted THE dress on a stall on the next row.

it was on a manaquin and i fell head over heels in love with it, i wanted to buy it there and then without even trying it on, i knew it was the dress.

So i booked an app with the stall owner to go the shop the following week to try it on, i cried, my best friend sobbed, it was meant to be.

i then went dress shopping with my mum and she made me try on a million others first and she kept saying 'oh thats nice' until i put the dress on and she also sobbed.

it was way out of my price range but my uncle who is giving me away offered to pay half so i could get it

My dress is the Allure 9022. i cant wait to try it on again when it arrives, 22 weeks is a long delivery time!!

Allure 9022 is a beautiful dress. It reminds me very much of Stella York 5923 which is the dress I almost went for.

Its lovely reading through all your experiences ladies, I always knew what I wanted as I see them every day so sometimes feel very envious of not having the bride experience x

My experience was quite typical of the way I normally choose anything!

One of my industry colleagues owns a gorgeous bridal store in town, so naturally I went there first. Walked in and saw many nice dresses, but nothing like the one I had been looking for. Dismissed them all.

Went upstairs and was faced with a dress on a manequin, which was ok, but again not really what I wanted. Then I saw a whole rail of lovely dresses. Picked two. Tried them on. Told my best friend/bridesmaid to stop crying. Had a walk around. Drank some coffee. Hmmmm'd. Haarrr'd. Looked in the mirror again. My hair was a mess and this sort of ruined the look. Decided I looked fat/ugly/frumpy/blah.

*Can I try THAT one on?* (dress on manequin) - That being the very first dress I saw upstairs as I walked in, which bore no resemblance at all to what I wanted, originally.

Put it on. PERFECT! Felt like a princess!

Ordered it. ?

Andrea de Gabriel